We were the zinger we have been waiting for.

We are in Union Pier for a few weeks, enjoying the Fall colors by the Lake. It is Eastern Time, so the debate started an hour later than in Chicago. That combined with the unrelieved boredom of the 90 minute exchange made keeping our eyes open somewhat of a challenge.

We had been promised some zingers coming from Mitt.

Who would of thought that the zinger would come from Obama and aimed squarely at every teacher watching?

It was barely a few minutes into the debate when President Obama brought up Race to the Top as a positive example of what his administration has done for education.

Zing!

He brought it up several times later. Zing! Zing!

There was more in Obama’s performance that was pretty awful. But since education has not exactly been a hot topic in this campaign, it surprised me that we were the zinger we have been waiting for.

Which is why I will take part in the October 17 letter to Obama action proposed by Diane Ravitch.

The idea is simple. On October 17, educators, parents and others concerned with the direction of education policy will send an email to the President laying out our concerns.

To begin with, this is not an online petition, but an invitation to join together to write your own individual heartfelt letter to the President and to email the White House on the same day.

The President should understand that he can’t take educators for granted–or parents. We want change. We want a constructive education program, one that supports children and teachers and schools, not carrots and sticks and sanctions and punishments. We want support for public schools, not privatization.

So if you are willing, everyone should turn October 17 into the target day, for maximum effect.

I’m thinking of voting Green Party this time. I won’t vote for Obama. He’s done more damage to education than any Republican could have dreamed. Obama has made attacking teachers and public education a bipartisan sport. He has made us political orphans, turning the Democratic Party against us. Jill Stein won’t win the election, but if enough people vote for her, it will send a message to the Democrats that they can’t betray their base without consequences.

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